Especially since my qualities include:- single (no dual income)- unpredictable income (based on real estate closings and tips from serving)- 40K in student loan debt- lack of savings as I am just out of schoolI have recently started "paying myself first" and hold back money every week from tips.

it's also an issue of what's in my best interest, everything I've read says dual agency is a big no no.

Representation and how it is viewed and set up can vary by state.In GA for instance a buyer can sign a buyer brokerage agreement or the representation can be filled out at the time of offer in the purchase and sale agreement.Some states allow dual agency (representing both buyer and seller in a fiduciary capacity as a client) and GA is one of them.Another option is Designated Agency where a different agent under the same brokerage represents the buyer and the other agent for the brokerage represents the seller.A buyers agent will usually select on the purchase and sale that they represent the buyer with the offer.The listing broker/agent if a buyer was unrepresented could select dual agency,designated,or as a customer only.If as a customer only as the listing broker/agent there is no duty owned to the buyer other than performing ministerial acts as a customer.There is a very distinct difference between a client (fiduciary acts) and a customer (ministerial acts).

Are you a dual-citizen?

National real estate market news is a dual edge sword.

Dual agency- having both the buyer and seller represented by the same agent- I have often heard compared to going to court and having the same attorney represent both the plaintiff and the defendant.

Replacing like for like is a REPAIR, upgrading is a capital improvement.eg: replacing a single pane window with another single pane is a repair, but going to a dual or triple pane window is an improvement (extra insulation improving both cooling and heating)

We will be a dual income household in January - She just got out of school.

Maybe a dual approach?

(It looks like Missouri has dual agency as well, but that's just based on a quick web search.)